Estonian politicians show support for Pussy Riot

The concert was organized by Estonian politician Juku-Kalle Raid in solidarity with the three women who were arrested after the all-female protest group performed an unsanctioned concert in February at Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral that attacked long time leader Vladimir Putin.

Influential music critic Artemy Troitsky also attended Sunday's concert, noting that "in Russia there has been no such concert in support of these punk girls, but Estonia is the first state in the world to show solidarity," RIA-Novosti reported.

The concert was held after nine Estonian politicians, including Raid, sent a letter to Putin asking him to free the arrested women.

"With this letter we want to tell the Russian government that the legal system in a country that participates in the European Council, of which Russia has been a member since 1996, should not under any circumstances be ruled by political power," the group wrote, Estonian news site delfi.ee reported.

"These women were arrested on accusations of hooliganism," the group added. "But everyone knows they were protesting against the elections, against the authoritarian regime of Vladimir Putin and against the absence of free speech in Russia."

The women face up to seven years in jail upon charges of hooliganism for their alleged participation in February's performance.

Comments

How naive of Europeans to think that russian dictator cares about their opinion. This KGB brute Putin feels like an untouchable tsar, enjoying with repressions and nationwide brutality. This criminal deserves only being hanged on closest pole.